Hopes Strongest
by AckermanJaeger
Summary: Eren Yaeger couldn’t remember the last time he felt like this. Maybe in a past lifetime, as ridiculous as that sounded, but the gorgeous raven haired man scowling up at him said otherwise. He knew this man, had loved him, possibly still did. So why did it seem like the silvered eyed male still avoiding his presence seemed to want nothing to do with him?
1. Confrontation

[Okay thanks for reading my story but I have a few rules.

One, I don't want any hate comments based on the story. If you don't have anything nice to say then don't say anything at all and read something else. This story will be based on the anime Attack on Titan and Eren and Levi's relationship and how it grows. I'm writing this because I'm bored and I felt like it.

Second, please be patient with updates if you like this. I'll leave simple lemon warnings when needed, (if I remember) but other than that It'll be rare for me to start a chapter or end it with a message from myself. Needless to say, this story will be hot but romantic at the same time.

P.S I'll try to post two chapters at a time instead of one. Also, some of the scenery and events won't be completely accurate to the anime. This is mainly because I'm making this story up as I go along.

And third, I'm not the greatest of writers so don't criticise my work. As I said, I'm bored and simply doing this because I want to.]

* * *

"Eren?" A firm feminine voice called. Mikasa Ackerman pulled tighter against the red scarf around her neck before reaching out to shake the titan shifters' arm. The first day of training with their new scout leader had started rather peculiar. Armin Arlert had followed his taller friend through the crowds of people while Mikasa had chased after them that morning. Armin had informed him about the identity of their new scout leader the night before, and Eren Yaeger spent that night fighting with his excitement to at least get a few hours of sleep. It was no secret that Eren held deep admiration and respect for a certain Captain in their ranks, in fact, many soldiers did, but Armin knew that his friend's hero complex towards the man was more than considered professional. Due to his incredible abilities of observation, Armin had noticed the way Eren looked at the Captain and knew that Eren harboured feelings for the man. The shifter didn't even know his feelings until Armin had voiced his curiosity, and Eren spent the first few days in denial. Of course, his blonde friend and encouraged him not to be ashamed and simply accept the fact that his heart longed for the Captain, but Eren was just as shy as he was reckless.

Their new base was large. It was sectioned a few miles outside of the main scout's regiment stronghold, just like the rest of the squad leaders own base grounds. However, while every other squad's base was surrounded by trees that offered great training courses for their ODM gear, their new scout leaders was completely deserted.

At first glance, the massive two-story unit along with the large stable and open field training grounds seemed oblivious to keeping itself hidden. But as Eren surveyed the area with Mikasa and Armin, he realised just how wrong he was.

The entire scene was a front, covering and diverting anyone's attention from the main and top-secret base ground. In retrospect, none of them should have been surprised. Their new leader was known for being overly cautious and extremely suspicious of anything. Eren remembered his first chat with the man and what he had said when discussing his imprisonment.

"Better to be paranoid and safe than oblivious and dead."

Those words had stuck with Eren, even though they weren't to comfort him.

As they entered the fronted house, Sasha had to lead them to the cellar and down a dark tunnel.

"So the new scout leader _actually_ cleaned this place?" Armin had asked. They continued to follow Sasha as she led them through the dark and shallow underground with a lit candle.

"Yep." She replied, pointing to the smooth walls surrounding them. They had been walking for almost thirty minutes, but it felt like an hour.

The air was thick and hard to breathe in, reminding Eren of the fact that he hated confined spaces.

"But we're _literally_ underground!" Armin exclaimed, walking past Eren to stand by Sasha's side. "He would have had to _clean dirt. _Dirt, Sasha. I get that he's a bit of a germaphobe, but that's just ridiculous!" Sasha giggled.

"Eren? We're almost there." Mikasa grabbed hold of his shoulder to steady his shaky. Eren hasn't even realised he was doing it.

"Yeah. I'm fine."

As the end of the tunnel came into view, Eren found himself rushing ahead of Armin and Sasha. The air surrounding him felt lighter the closer he got to the exit, and what he saw after stepping out of the tunnel made him gasp.

They were deep within the forest, a mimic of the decoyed base ground standing right in front of him. The large dark trees offered the perfect cover, the two-story house, no matter how big, hidden from view.

"Wow," Armin sighed out. "It's amazing!"

Sasha threw them a smirk. "Told ya. Now come on, everyone's meeting in the yard."

As they made their way towards their assigned stations once entering their new scout leaders personal base grounds, the trio along with the rest of their team unanimously agreed to give their leader the perfect first impression. Knowing their new leader was immaculate and germaphobic to the core, the group had rushed to clean the already pristine training yard, stables and two-story building occupying the main square knowing it would please him.

It was when Eren had spent the last ten minutes scrapping relentlessly at the same stable door that Mikasa strolled over to him. The young teen had noticed the cloudly look in his eyes and realised the brunette was extremely distracted.

"Huh?" Eren breathed out, reacting to his friend's strong grip on his shoulder, pulling him from his current thoughts.

"Are you okay? You look tired." Mikasa asked, worry creeping into her voice.

"I'm fine," Eren mumbled. "Just... Anxious about our first training session with the Captain." Armin hummed in agreement from the doors. Their new scout leader was scary, to say the least. The majority of the military feared the man and with good reason.

"Just don't worry too much, Eren." Armin chimed from his position further from the two. "Everything will be fine. Besides, I think the door you're cleaning looks better than it did before." Eren glanced at the door before furrowing his brows. He hadn't paid much attention to his work, his mind occupied. At the reminder of his previse thoughts, Eren found himself blushing immediately.

_No. I can't think about him, not when he might show up at any minute._

Eren shook his head once more, taking a deep breath to cool his heated cheeks. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Mikasa watching him like a hawk. She never let her guard down when it came to Eren, and if he was, to be honest, it sometimes annoyed the hell out of him. But just like Armin, Mikasa also was observant.

"Okay, I know you two have been hiding something from me for a while now. I never thought to voice it because I had a feeling it was none of my business. But I'm curious. Just what is going on?" She demanded calmly, her eyes snapping towards Armin as he gulped before averting his gaze.

"N-nothing. It's..." The rest of Armin's sentence fell on deaf ears to Eren. Behind him, the other door that led towards the stables pushed open and Eren felt his back tense in anticipation. He didn't have to turn around to know the person who had entered was the cause for his sudden clammy hands and increased heartbeat, just like every other time he even was in the same room as him. He heard light footsteps as the back of his neck tingled and his stomach twisted.

_He's looking at me._

"Oi, what are you brats still doing? Everyone else already finished cleaning more than ten minutes ago." His voice echoed throughout the suddenly silent stable, his voice emotionless. Eren forced the sudden lump in his throat to go down as he slowly turned around to face the man who had haunted his dreams for the past three years.

Captain Levi was a short man, but he was also the most intimidating man Eren had ever met. At five foot two, most people always underestimated the dark-haired Captain, but upon approaching him in person, he sent off a dark and dangerous aura that most people learned to avoid. He was cold and passive, his personality dry and pessimistic. But given his title as humanity's strongest soldier, people didn't give him much thought other than he was a titan slayer and emotionally detached man. Eren didn't know why, but there was simply something about the man that drew him in. Something that seemed to pull at his heart whenever he met his sharp silver eyes.

Even now, as Captain Levi locked his gaze on Eren, he felt butterflies erupt.

This was stupid! How could he make Eren feel like a shy and self-conscious little boy with just one look?

Eren's eye's avoided the Captain's intense stare as they glided across the man's face. His skin was unbelievably porcelain looking, smooth and unmarked. He had sharp features and the cutest nose Eren had ever seen, his hair shiny and perfectly shaven as an undercut, a few dark strands dangling in front of his face. Eren's breath hitched as the Captain crossed his arm's and a 'tch' sound came slipping out through his soft-looking lips. Eren found himself swallowing once more.

"...Eren?"

"...W-what?" he asked, snapping his eyes off the incredibly sexy Captain and towards Armin.

"Damn it, Yaeger. You deaf or something?" Levi called out, attracting his attention once more. "I said to get your asses to the training grounds. Don't make me drag you there by your damn hair." He said, monotoned, before spinning around on his heels and walking out.

Eren blinked, dazed.

"What the hell was that Eren? Captain Levi called your name more than twice and you spaced out, again!" Mikasa exclaimed, coming to his side as Armin walked passed them towards the door the Captain just walked out of.

"I-I'm sorry, I've just been... Distracted." He replied. Mikasa frowned at him before following Armin, leaving Eren in the stables alone.

He had some time to think then, about everything that had happened in the past year. How he lost his mother and how his father had turned him into a titan. Section commander Hange Zoe had run many experiments on Eren ever since he was placed in their care, so much so that he lost count of the number of times he found himself passed out after every experiment.

Shaken from his thoughts, Eren made his way towards the door and out into the training grounds.

* * *

"Oi! Watch it, Yaeger!" Levi dived down towards Eren as he landed on his titan formed shoulder, the gas in his gear hissing as he released the hooks. It had been a week since Hange came to his base and all she had been doing was push the kid too far. This was the second time Eren lost control of his titan form and the emanated smoke had proven it. Levi found the brats dedication admirable, but his stubbornness infuriating.

"Levi, it's alright. I already know what to do to stabilise him!" Hange shouted below him, her chestnut eyes glancing up to meet the captain.

Levi's frown deepened. "You're pushing him too far, shitty glasses. He'll be a walking skeleton if he keeps up with your ridiculous experiments."

A crazed grin split across Hange's face. "That may be true, but we've made a lot of progress since a month ago. And you know Eren pushes himself just as hard, if not more." Levi couldn't argue with her logic, so instead, he raised his blades before pointing them at the boy's titan, gaining his attention.

"Oi, brat. Get out of there." Eren's titan made a sound of reluctance before he began to lower himself into the grass below. Levi gripped the dark hair framming his face before letting out a huff of annoyance. He watched as the boy struggled to pull himself from his used corps and jumped down to meet Hange.

"He's improving." She said.

Levi grunted.

"You know," She continued, shifting her weight to face him. "He seems to control himself more whenever you're training him." Levi avoided her gaze. He didn't find it surprising that she came to that conclusion. The lady was bat shit crazy but a damn genius.

As Hange continued to stare at him, Levi found himself scowling knowing she wanted his opinion.

"As you said, he's improving." He mumbled out.

"Huh? What was that? I didn't hear you over your mumbling, tiny Captain." Levi shot her a look of annoyance as she cackled a laugh. "Hey, no need for the death glare, I was just asking. You know how curious I am, Levi." Her expression turned serious then, her attention pulled towards Eren as the kid made his way towards them on shaky legs. Levi's eyes trailed his naked torsal as Eren's chest rose and fell with each deep breath he took. The brat looked like he was about to pass out again, his eyes cloudy and his mouth opened wide. Levi knew he wouldn't though. The kid might have reached his limit for the day, but Hange was right. He always managed to perform better whenever he was around, even after shifting.

Levi found himself memorised as Eren's gaze locked with his. His eyes were so damn beautiful, he couldn't look away. They were so unusual, unnatural even. He could feel his breath quicken as the teal shade began to surround itself in gold. Levi had noticed that Eren's eyes only allowed that small change whenever he felt a strong emotion. His attention shifted from his eyes to the sudden rosiness of his cheeks, the blush slightly hidden by his tanned skin. Eren's brown hair flopped as the wind picked up, shifting and hiding his left eye as he finally reached them.

"...so what do you think?"

Levi blinked as he forced his eyes off the brunette and towards Hange. She looked at him expectantly, her grin growing wider.

"I wasn't listening, what did you say?"

Hange frowned. "Did you seriously not hear a single word I said? I-"

"Captain?" Eren interrupted. Hange paused, giving Eren a side glance. "S-sorry, section commander." He mumbled out, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. Levi followed his arm as he rubbed it across his chest in unease.

_Damn, he had nice abs for a kid_.

"It's okay Eren, but next time, try to control your steam more. You nearly barbecued Levi." Hange threw a finger at him while the man grunted.

Eren snapped his eyes to the Captain and his cheeks reddened even more.

"I'm s-"

"Stop apologising, brat. It's giving me a fucking headache." And it was. For some reason, Levi didn't like it when the kid grew unsure around him. He wanted the brat to like him damn it.

"Okay!" Hange exclaimed, slapping her palms together. "Everyone's already at dinner, so I'll just clean up here. Eren, go help the others set up will you?" The boy nodded his agreement and Levi watched as he shuffled past them, his shoulder brushing his for just a second.

Levi shivered as the kid's hot skin licked at his arm.

"You know, Eren's sweet." Hange chimed, a glint of excitement shifting in her eyes.

"Tch, how would I know." And with that, the Captain quickly turned intending to follow the boy towards the base house. He mostly wanted to escape Hange's gaze because of the sudden heat that crept onto his face, but as if she could see right through him, Hange shrieked before Levi felt her shoot out her arm to stop him.

"Oh my god, Levi are you _blushing_?"

He scowled at her. Most people would have denied it, but Levi didn't bullshit.

"What if I am?" He snapped, quickly shoving her arm off his own. "The world isn't fucking ending, shitty glasses. Quit making a big deal out of it."

Hange's grin grew bigger and wider. Her crazed eyes pinning him with a stare that screamed, _I knew it_!

"I can't believe it, I was right! At first, I thought you just looked out for Eren because of how valuable he was to us, but I never thought you liked, _liked_ him!"

As hard as he tried, Levi couldn't stop the heat shadowing his cheeks.

_Why the hell am I blushing_?

Levi knew ever since he met that brat that he wanted him, but he also knew how much of an inconvenience that was. He was a soldier, he wasn't allowed to feel anything. For all he knew, Eren would die in the next expedition, therefore, he had to harden his heart and trap his libido down. Besides, there was no way the brat was into him, it was ridiculous to even think he did. At least, that's what he told himself. Levi was no idiot, he knew how the kid looked at him, but it was better to ignore the fact that Eren desired him as well than to acknowledge it and give in to his stupid feelings.

"It's not a big deal, you maniac," Levi mumbled out, unconsciously rubbing the back of his neck while he avoided eye contact. "Not like I'm going to ever tell the brat anyway."

Levi didn't have a single clue how Hange always managed to make him talk about things that made him the most uncomfortable to address. At first, he assumed she must have been putting some messed up tonic in his tea, but as time flew by, he admitted it was because he trusted the damn nut head.

"But this is just so rare, Levi. I'm afraid I'm going to shit my pants with excitement!"

Hange spun around before quickly pulling Levi into a hug, letting him go before he could shove her off.

"The hell, shitty glasses?" Levi gave her another scowl of annoyance. "And don't you dare tell Erwin, the last thing I need is commander eyebrows ordering me to get laid by a fucking sixteen-year-old."

Hange snorted before starting to walk beside him, both of them heading towards the house.

"Don't worry, I won't. Besides, what's the point of telling him when I'm going to say what he would have if he knew?" Levi let out a huff of impatience.

"If you're going to tell me to get laid then spit it out, don't sugar code things with me, you nut case."

Hange let a chuckle slip out before replying.

"Well, it would help if you let loose once in a while."

Levi was about to reply when he saw Erwin turn the corner of the hallway. Hange followed his gaze before a shit-eating grin made its way onto her face.

"Say a word and I'll cut your tongue out before you can blink." Levi hissed. Hange put both hands up in mocking surrender before snickering, making a quick detour as Erwin spotted them.

"Levi, have a minute?" The tall blonde asked, coming to stop in front of him as Hange walked back the way she came.

"Do I have a choice?" The shorter man asked in a bored tone, but starting to follow the man either way.

Erwin let out a small laugh. "Not really, but we do have some things to discuss." The Captain let out a groan.

The commander had arrived at his base the night before, needing to check up on how his new scout team had fitted in. Needless to say, they were scared shitless of the Captain and pushed their training more than necessary to impress him and avoid his wrath.

"Out with it, Erwin." Levi said, shutting the door to the meeting room before he began to pour himself a cup of tea.

"We lost more soldiers than we thought during the last raid beyond the wall. We have the families breathing down our necks and the military is getting uneasy. You know, the usual." Levi ignored the strange feeling that there was something outside of business on the other man's mind. It wasn't like the commander to beat around the bush, but then again, the man was known for being a manipulative bastard. But for all Levi knew, he was simply playing with him just to piss him off.

Levi heaved out an irritated sigh as he held the rim of his cup, slowly taking a sip. Erwin took in the twelve sectioned chairs surrounding the long table, the open window and blank walls.

"Look's like you didn't have time to decorate."

"I don't decorate." Levi hissed out.

Erwin let out a deep chuckle. "No, of course not. You're Levi."

"What do you want, eyebrows?" the captain asked, knowing that the commander didn't come to discuss the casualties that they took a month ago. Erwin didn't even blink at the nickname, having been used to Levi's insulting personality.

"Well," the commander began. "I just got the word about the decision." Levi's heart skipped a beat.

"They agreed."

Erwin levelled his gaze with the captain as he took in his reaction, not that he expected anything besides a single nod or even a shrug of acceptance. And Levi didn't disappoint. The captain gave the blonde male a single shoulder shrug, his expressionless face remaining the same.

"So," Erwin began. "If Eren steps out of line, you'll be the one to stop him, permanently." Levi felt dread creep in as he struggled to remain neutral. As loyal and emotionally detached as he tried to be, Levi wasn't heartless. Eren Yaeger, however, had somehow crept himself into his heart over the few months he had known the kid.

_That damn brat._

"Understood," Levi replied. "I know my role."

"Good. But it comes with a few conditions, Levi, and I don't know if you'd like them. If fact, I know you definitely won't."

Levi's expression never changed.

"The consul has given you full custody and responsibility of Eren Yaeger."

"What, like he's a damn baby?" Levi allowed the small irritation he felt then to enter his voice. "Don't tell me, I have to help him eat too?" He added sarcastically.

Erwin's lip twitched in amusement. "No, but instead of being placed in his cell every night, you'll be watching over him. He'll have to be with you at all times because of this fact, and nothing I said was able to change their minds. I hope this doesn't inconvenience you?"

Levi didn't respond. Of course, it was a fucking inconvenience. Not just because he hated interacting with people in general, but because he doubted he would be able to keep his hands to himself if he had to see that brats stupidly gorgeous face every day.

Erwin sighed before rubbing the back of his neck. "he's a good kid, but for the sake of humanity, it has to be done if the situation ever arises for it." Levi hoped that day would never come, but he was a realist. He knew the chances of the military allowing the kid to live, even after saving humanity, were low to none.

"Okay," the commander said, realising that Levi wasn't going to say anything else on the matter. "Now, about the next expedition."

Levi inwardly groaned.

* * *

"Eren, you have to eat something." Mikasa said, reaching across the table to push his bowl towards him.

"Sorry." Eren mumbled, grabbing his spoon before he began to eat. The headache he had been sporting that entire day began to pound. Captain Levi was assessing him today so Eren had pushed himself more than he usually would have. He wanted to please the captain so much that he would risk putting himself in a coma to do so.

"Hey, did you know that the board gave their final decision today?" Armin whispered closely, the sound of the dining halls conversations drowning out his voice. Eren shook his head. He didn't really care because he already knew what they would have decided, he just didn't know who was going to be his caretaker until the titans were destroyed.

"I heard that Captain Levi might be their best choice." At the sound of the man who had his heart swimming, Eren's attention snapped to Armin.

"Really?" He asked. Armin grinned. "Yes, it makes sense too. He's the obvious choice given that he's our strongest soldier, and he won't have any difficulty with a conscience." Eren swallowed. Yeah, he knew all too well how cold the Captain could be.

"Well, he's not all bad." Connie chimed in. The boy shoved another spoonful of soup down his throat before swallowing loudly. "I mean, he did help to put Eren into the care of the scouts. Any other branch would have executed him." Mikasa shot Connie a glare. "Not before using him as a kicking and punching bag." she growled out.

"I can understand why Mikasa doesn't like the captain." Jean intervened. "He's not exactly the warmest person."

"How would you know, horse face?" Eren spat out. The words came before he could stop them. Jean raised a brow at him before snorting.

"How would you know otherwise, you maniac?"

Eren was about to jump out of his seat and let his anger lose when the door to the dining area opened and the sudden conversations dropped in the room.

_Speak of the devil._

Captain Levi strolled in, his eyes scanning over the crowd of teenagers before they stopped once reaching Eren's table. The boy shuffled in his seat under his intense stare before turning his attention to his food.

"Eren. The meeting room, now." The silence was deafening and Eren could feel the eyes of every scout in his team focused on him.

"Y-yes, sir." Mikasa shared a look with Armin before turning to Eren. "Don't do anything stupid."

Eren managed a small smile before standing up and following the shorter male out the dining hall.

As they grew further away from the arising nose, Eren's curiosity began to eat up at him.

"Um, sir? Am I in trouble?" Levi paused before turning his head.

"No, Yaeger, you're not in trouble. But you are pissing me off, so hurry up." Eren quickened his strides and walked along with his captain before looking ahead. Maybe Armin was right and Captain Levi was his new caretaker. Eren didn't know how he felt about that. Sure, he admired the man, hell he might even love him, but he also knew the captain wasn't exactly an affectionate person like Jean had said. And spending more time with Captain Levi wasn't the best idea considering that he was having a hard enough time keeping himself in check.

"You ever slept in a chair, Yaeger?" Levi randomly asked, cutting the awkward silence around them. They finally reached the meeting room and Levi pushed the door open and stood in front of Eren, waiting for an answer.

"Huh? Um, no, sir." He replied, making his way into the room. The captain shut the door with a loud bang making the teen jumped.

"Good. Don't, it's uncomfortable as fuck." Eren managed a nod as his back tensed up.

"Damn kid, you need to take a shit or what?"

"I'm fine." Eren rushed out, avoiding the man's eye as he walked past him and towards a chair.

"Tch, come here Eren." Eren gulped. Levi watched him curious while he hesitated. "Oi, I'm not going to fucking bite you."

"With all due respect, sir, I want to know why I'm here." Eren explained, staying as far away from the man as possible. The attraction he had for him was driving him crazy and the last thing he needed was to be close to him. He wanted to escape this room as fast as possible before he ended up doing or saying something to offend the man.

Levi's expression darkened, his arms crossed while he huffed out a breath.

"I'll tell you when I want to. Get your ass over here, you brat." The brunette struggled to disobey the man once more but found he couldn't.

Slowly, Eren took the few small steps he had towards his captain before stopping in front of him, his heart beating frantically while his palms grew sweaty.

"You sure you don't need to shit? You look pretty constipated." Eren shook his head furiously, his fingers twitching to touch the captain's raven soft-looking locks of silky hair.

"I'm fine." Eren breathed out. Levi hummed, uncrossing his arms before pushing himself back on a chair, using it to balance himself.

"Well," he began, looking up at the boy before the tiniest smile shadowed his face, but it was so quick Eren wondered if it was even there to begin with. "looks like I'm going to be your new babysitter, Eren. Hope you know I'm not happy about this." Eren took a deep breath before rubbing his hands together, staring at the chair's armrest. Anything to avoid ogling the captain.

"I know, sir. But I'll behave and follow all your orders, as always." Levi raised a brow.

"All of my orders, Eren?" The way the captain had asked that question made the brunette meet his silver gaze. He would do anything for Captain Levi, Eren knew, and he suspected the man knew this too.

"Yes, sir." He mumbled out. "All your orders."

"Tch, in that case..." Levi pushed against the chair, standing a few inches away from Eren's slightly taller frame. The boy unconsciously leaned into him slightly, breathing in his scent. He smelt good, not that Eren was surprised. The captain was immaculate in every way.

"Eren?" At the sound of his name, Eren realised just how close he was to Levi and hurriedly began to step back. Levi's hand shot out then, grabbing his arm and stopping him. His grip was strong and firm, the sudden bolt of arousal he got at the sudden contact hard to ignore.

"I'm sorry, captain, I-I don't know-"

"Shut up. You're starting to piss me off again, Yaeger." Eren gulped, hanging his head before shyly sneaking a look at the captain's hand holding him in place.

"You're really strong." He randomly said.

"Tch." Levi's hand dropped then, his attention elsewhere.

The teen found it odd how the captain was treating him. In the last three months that they had known each other, Captain Levi was hard on him. He always seemed to single the boy out whenever they were training or cleaning. Eren was always the last to leave because the captain asked him to stay behind. Actually, he didn't ask so much as demanded it. Eren was flattered at first, thinking that Levi wanted to spend more time with him, but then he started to doubt this fact when one day, the man started to give him the cold shoulder. It went on for so long Eren thought he hated him. So when the captain started acting as if Eren was the same boy he enjoyed cleaning and putting in extra hours of training with, the boy was conflicted.

"Eren," Levi began. "You sure you don't need to shit?"

Eren gaped down at him. "No, sir. I'm-" Eren followed the captain's gaze before his face turned a dark shade of red. His sudden hard-on was in clear view, his excitement at the captain's proximity obvious. Eren stepped back quickly, his hands going to hide the front of his pants. Embarrassment coursed through him as he struggled to explain his sudden issue.

"I-I...I mean... I-"

"Eren." He stopped as a small grin of amusement slipped onto the captain's face. "I didn't know you swung that way kid."

"I-I don't!" He rushed to yell.

Levi shot him a look that shut the boy up. "Go deal with that, I don't need it swinging in my damn face."

Eren was modified as he flushed, the captain calming reaching across the table and pulling a teacup towards himself. Eren watched as he poured himself some tea, still shocked.

At his hesitation, Levi paused in his pouring to turn his head and stare back at Eren, a dark brow raised.

"You hear me, kid?"

"Um... Yeah..." Eren cleared his dry throat before taking a step towards the captain. "I-it's just that," Eren paused as Levi's back tensed. "You didn't exactly seem surprised, sir." Levi didn't respond, and hope flared in Eren's gut. What if the captain wanted him too? Was that why he was so cold towards him? Did he want to avoid him for the same reasons Eren did? It was a stretch that Eren shouldn't even be considering asking but, damn it, Captain Levi drove him crazy.

"Captain?" Levi grunted. "Do you, I mean, are you-"

"Look, kid." Levi turned to face him then, his cup in hand. "I don't bullshit, I'm also realistic." Eren stepped closer, noticed how the captain's breath hitched and his confidence grew. "What does that mean, exactly?" He asked, pressing his hands on the table, trapping the shorter man between them.

"What do you think it means, you shitty brat?" Levi breathed out, feeling his pulse race while his hands trembled.

_to hell with this kid. _

"I don't want to cross a line, sir. I need you to tell me, please?" Eren took the cup from Levi's shaking hands and placed it back on the table. The captain let out another grunt before staring Eren straight in the eye.

"Means I want you to fuck me, kid." He said bluntly. "But as I said, I'm a real-mnh." Eren found himself smashing his lips against Levi's, his control slipping as he kissed him. The captain's lips were soft, delicate and oh so perfect. Eren had felt the sudden blaze of want and need when Levi had said he wanted him to fuck him. Something about the way he had said it snapped something within him. The kiss was short, much to Eren's disappointment, but when the captain didn't kiss him back, he stopped.

"I-I'm so sorry, sir." He breathed out, pulling back to see Levi's opened eye gaze as the man slowly licked his lips.

"You're alight." He whispered, his hands wrapping around Eren's shirt, tugging him closer. "Do that again, Yaeger." Eren shuddered with desire.

"Are you sure, Captain?" He asked shyly, one of his hands coming up to cup the shorter man's face. "You didn't kiss me back."

Levi scowled. "Because you surprised me, idiot." He snapped. "Are you going to kiss me or not?"

"Um... Yeah, but-"

Just then, a knock sounded at the door. Eren rushed to pull out of Levi's hold but the captain's grip was firm.

"What?" Levi called. The boy's eyes widen in disbelief as he started to panic.

"Oh, Levi! I wanted to talk to you about the next ex-" Hange stepped into the room but froze at the scene before her. Eren's back was to the section commander but he could feel her eyes on him. He hung his head while still trying to escape Levi's stronghold.

"And?" Levi asked impatiently, not letting Eren go. "What about it?"

"Um... Just that... Um-"

"Damn it, shitty glasses. Spit it out." Eren felt himself shaking with laughter despite the fear of being caught as his captain scowled, standing on his toes to shoot Hange a dirty glare from behind Eren's shoulder. He found the captain's reaction so damn cute, and if Hange wasn't there right then he might have picked him up before placing him on the table and having his way with the man.

"Well, I would but... Levi, you can see why I would be speechless."

"Are you laughing at me Eren?" Levi asked, shifting his attention from Hange and towards the brunette.

"No, sir." Eren weakly replied, fighting to hide his grin of amusement.

Levi narrowed his eyes. "Don't lie, brat."

"Levi! I need to talk to you, this is important."

Eren blushed while shifting uncontrollably in the captains hold.

"Tch, you already know I have to look after Eren, so you shouldn't be surprised that I would want him to be here." Eren's heart warmed at the comment, but he missed the double meaning behind Levi's words.

"I'm just... surprised that you listened to me." Hange exclaimed. She walked further into the room and towards the two.

"Oi, don't come any closer. You're embarrassing him." Eren found his voice then, thinking of a topic to distract Hange of the fact that he was pretty much humping the older man.

"Um, it's getting late, Captain. And I've got the night shift for guard patrol today."

This was true and Eren consciously told his captain this without making it a question.

_I would rather stay up all night watching the grass grow than to be in this situation._

Was what Eren was silently saying. And from the way Levi's hold grew more possessive around his chest, he understood what he meant but didn't like it.

Levi shook his head. "No, you're not. Jean's covering for you tonight." Eren grimaced as he found that hard to believe. Jean wouldn't lose extra sleep covering for him, because Eren most certainly wouldn't for him.

"But Jean and I-"

"I said he's covering for you. Damn it Eren, do we need to get your ears checked?"

"No, sir." Eren wanted to protest more but he knew better than to anger the man.

"Um, hello?" Hange snapped out, her presences a few steps away.

"What?" Levi said, acknowledging her. Eren heard her sigh as the sound of her hesitant footsteps retreating registered.

"Nothing." She mumbled out. "I guess it can wait until tomorrow." And with that, the door closed with a bang.

Eren let out a breath he didn't know he was holding, his shoulders relaxing. He felt many things then, mostly humiliation. How could the captain be as cool as ice after what happened? His comrade had just walked in on them two minutes away from screwing. But then again, this _was_ Captain Levi. The man had no filter and no shame. Even during the direst of situations he never lost focus or control. Sometimes Eren wondered if anything even scared the man. It most certainly wasn't titans or the thought of dying, that's for sure. Levi treated these events as a simple walk through the park. Even when he swore it never came out loud or promoted. The only time the captains resolve shook was, well, never now that Eren thought about it.

"Oi, what's got your head spinning?" Eren snapped to attention as he let out a shaky grin.

"Nothing, sir."

Levi narrowed his eyes.

"You okay, kid?" Tilting his head to the side, he observed Eren's expression. "You up for this?"

The boy sharply nodded, his own hands going to the back of the captains, feeling the hard muscles there as the man shuddered.

"Lock the door then, Eren." Levi suddenly said. Eren blinked down at him before his words sunk in.

"Um... Okay." He pulled back and this time, the shorter man let him. Eren walked on shaky legs towards the door. His heart was pounding and he could feel Levi's eyes wandering over his body.

_I should leave and pretend like this never happened._

That was the right thing to do. If anyone ever found out what they were going to do Eren would be placed into someone else's care and the captain might lose his squad and title.

But as he reached the lock, Eren found himself turning it into place instead of pulling the door open and running away.

"This goes without saying, but get back here." Eren swallowed, meeting the captain's silver eyes.

"Sir, I-I'm not... Comfortable with this." He bravely lied, trying for the last time to stop this from happening. Eren very much was comfortable with this though. He had desired the man for three years, and what seemed like fantasy was happening.

"Tch, yes you are. You're many things, kid, but you're the worst fucking liar I've ever met." Eren's eyes widen. "I ain't going to ask again, brat."

Eren let out a sigh, rubbing the back of his neck. A small smile crossed his face as he walked towards the captain, his control beginning to waver. "I really want you, sir." Eren felt his cheeks heat up as he confessed. Levi simply grunted before reaching out and pulling Eren against him. The boy yelped in surprise as the captain pulled his head down to meet his, their foreheads touching.

"You think I don't know that? Now kiss me, you shitty brat." Eren blew out a breath as he struggled to keep his control in check.

"I-I don't think I can without-"

"Damn it, Yaeger." Levi hissed, bringing his lips up to meet Eren's. "You're stupid, you know that?" The whispered words tickled Eren's skin, and he felt his control finally dissolve as the captain tilted his head back and met Eren's needy mouth.


	2. Continuing

This series is being continued on Archive of our own, my profile is RavenLewdvi, check it out if you wanted to continue reading this story./users/RavenLewdvi


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